Withdrawable duct ventilating system



June 7, 1960 L. ZALKIND WITHDRAWABLE DUCT VENTILATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1957 /NVENTOR LA. ZALKIND WITHDRAWABLE nucr VENTlLATlNG SYSTEM Louis Allen Zalkind, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor tohI bhy Engineering Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Cana Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 671,931

4 Claims. (Cl. 98-115) This invention relates to the method of heating and ventilating large open space buildings and particularly to themethod of directing fresh air, heated or otherwise, down to near floor level or for exhausting spent air or fumes from a building or equipment within the building, in which the ducts conducting the air or fumes can be withdrawn upwards in order not to interfere with the passage of travelling cranes or other equipment through the building.

The invention consists essentially of a main ventilating duct normally installed in the roof truss area of the building, and a series of collapsible ducts suspended from the main ventilating duct, the collapsible ducts being arranged to be withdrawn upwards, either as a group, automatically on the approach of equipment, such as a travelling crane, whose passage through the building would otherwise be obstructed by the suspended ducts, or each separate suspended duct can be withdrawnupwards to clear a specified area of the building in order that the floor in that area can be used as a temporary working space.

V In large area buildings and particularly in paper machine rooms, satisfactory ventilation of the building presents serious problems in conveying fresh air to near floor-level in the control area of the building or for exhausting spent air or fumes'from a building or equipment within the building. Blower'fans have been set up in the roof truss area, directing the fresh air downwards. In mostcases this formof ventilation has not been satisfactory as the fresh air has to penetrate layers of vitiated air before reaching floor level, or is deflected by air currents away from its intended downward path. Again, such blower fans cause uncomfortable blasts of air to be directed into a relatively confined area before the air is eventuallydissipated. Other methods have been used in which the air is ducted to near floor level at the sides of the building from where it is directed across the building. In-wide buildings, such an is usually short circuited long before it can reach the central area of the building and, in the case of buildings housing large machines such as paper machines, these machines efiectively block the air from reaching the central area of the building. Fixed ducts have been installed. in the'central area' of large buildings but these have prevented the use of travelling cranes or means have had to. be resorted to whereby sections of the fixed ducts can .be dismantled or swing out of the way of such passing equipment.

The present invention has for its object the Pl'OVlSlOll of as a group on the approach of moving objects which would otherwise be obstructed by the ducts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a group of withdrawable ducts which can be withdrawn upwards separately to allow the area in the vicinity of the separate ducts to be used as a temporary Work space.

A further object of the invention is to provide withdrawable ducting in which the connections for withdrawing the ducts are concealed within the ducts.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a partial vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of a building showing a heating and ventilation system using withdrawable ducts operated as a group.

Figure 2 is a partial vertical cross sectional elevation of a building showing withdrawable ducts individually operated.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a travelling caniage assembly to which the main operating cable and the.

cables attached to the individual withdrawable ducts attached in the manner shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the main duct and one of the withdrawable ducts in extended position.

are

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section on the line 5-5.

- of Figure 4 showing the lower cable attachment.

means whereby fresh air, heated or otherwise, can be conveyed down to near floor level in the central area of large buildings without interfering with the use of equipment in the central area of the building. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide fresh air ventilation at or near floor level by means of ducting which can be withdrawn upwards without stopping the flow of fresh air through the ducting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a group of withdrawable ducts which can be withdrawn upwards Figure 6 is a horizontal cross section of a rectangular shaped withdrawable tube.

Referring to the drawings, the ventilating system hereinafter described can be installed in any type of building and is here shown as being installed in an open type building having a floor 5, an end wall 6, and a roof 7 supported on truss frames 8, leaving a large open space below the truss frames through which the travelling crane 9, supported on the side rails 10, can travel.

A main ventilating duct '11 feeds into the distributing duct 12 which is reduced in sectional area as it extends further away from the main duct 11. At spaced intervals along the length of the distributing duct 12 outlets 13 are provided. These outlets 13 are projected downwardly for a short distance. Secured to each of the outlets 13 is a collapsible duct 14 which can be made of any suitable material such as canvas, reinforced fibre, etc., which will readily collapse on itself. While retaining a substantial internal area through which air or fumes may pass. The walls of the collapsible duct 14 may be reinforced by the helical wire 15 which will assist the duct to collapse into regular folds, alternatively plain rings, not.

shown, could replace the helical wire 15. If air is to be fed into the building through the ducts 14 only, no special reinforcing, such as the helical wire 15, is necessary as the air flowing through the duct will keep the duct expanded Whether it is in the extended or withdrawn position. However some such reinforcing is necessary should the system be used for exhausting air or fumes out of the building as the suction created would otherwise tend to upwards centrally in the ducts 14- and passed through the aperture 20 in the top surface of the distribution duct 12.-

The lower end of 16 of the withdrawable duct may be expanded in the form of a hood 16' or may be arranged to connect to a hood or such like structure fitted over a machine, tank or other structure.

. In Figure 1 of the drawings each of the cables 19 are passed over the pulleys 21 which are mounted on the brackets ZZ secured to the support member 23. The other they 7 28, pulling the carriage 24 to the right and witli itfthe.

cables 19 thereby lifting all'of the dlictsM. As'thecar- V be end of each cable 1 9 is secured to the travelling carriage 24. This carriage 24 is provided with wheels 25 running on i the members 26 of the frame 27 which, in turn, is suitably supported inthe building framework. in order to accom- "k'eferrin jto-Figures 1""ann srrneeran f 9 is provid d with-"suitable extract fingers e 6 and 37- nd asrneerane 9 travels'ialongithe'iails w tnelertmehnger ee contact with one of thebuttpr sfon theswitch fvighaiising rich 31 in be energized "andito'wiiid tri I are cable riage24 travels .to the right it m'akes' contact with'jthe lim'it 'switcli 3410 stop 'thewinch 3I." When'the.cra'ne 9 has'passed the'la'st of'the' raised ducts 14 it contacts the limit switch 33 causing the winchfiltohnwind and effect lowerin'g'ofthe'ducts 14. When'the' ducts'14 are. being lowered, the carriage 24 is travelling to the left and makes contact "with th'e limit switch 35 thereby stopping the'unwinding of the'c'able28 'froznthe which 31. The location of the limit switches 34 and 35 on the framework 27 is such that the limit switch 34 will prevent the dnctii from being raised too'high against the outlet 13" of the distribution duct 12, while the limit switch will allow the ducts 14in belowered to their full 'ezrtent without; slack in the cables' 19 and'27. a

[When the crane Qistravelling inthe reverse direction, to the'-ri'ght, the finger 37" makescontact first with the limit 1 j switch 33 to efiectrais'inggofthe ducts i' land thenrwith the' limit: switches 32 to efietit lowering of the ducts 14 with-the limit switches '34- a'nd' 35 acting to stopthe winch" 3I as= previously described -In Fig!ire-" 2"'a'n arrangementis'shown whereby indi- 'vidua'l:ducts'fifi clan'be raised and lowered by. individual winches through the cable 49; 'Inthis case the 'winch' could -be operated'bythe' double switch 41- in which one buttonwohld-efiecr raising of the duct 3S while the other button would ef f ct l jwering 'oivth'e" duct 35. Stopping of the raising arid lowering'of the' duc't'33-eould be effected -by'fs'toppfislibfl ttons but isi preferably effiected by the arrnl 42aflixd to the' ca'bleaamaking contact with either thelimit switches" 43:61" 44; Withsiich aii individnalarrange- InentTo'r raising and lowering the ducts 1.38, the crane 9 can'b'e 'moved' i'nto any position in thebuilding and only theiducts"38' in"the immediate vicinity. of the crane need ates While a particular system of limit and stop switches are shown for the control of the raising andlowering of-the ducts, it is to be realized that'the system of raising and lowering the ducts is not dependent on the switching ar- 5 rangement but could be carried out by other means such as by hydraulic means or by manual means. 7 7

By the use of a ventilatinggsystem as above described, near floor ventilation of large; buildings can be accomplished" without restrictiug'the use oftravelling cranes or he densely-floatsnaa r ranie i rarea thaflqq r-of theibuilding Continuou t1 pi -the building; is

carried on regardless ofwhether the collainsible ducts-are in the lowered .or'raised position. The co ll agsible ducts, either individually o'fin' groups can be protected against damage from travelling cranes oriotherrtypesof moving loads, by the use of limit switches automatically raising and lowering these ducts when the crane or a load is being ov d intat a sa thedi r" 522 2 amazemen is i116 ster ea fumes, smoke, mo1st-ure,,gas or any substance creating a nfi i fi ii fliae i fd i ill t. may e h r a e ndl i et it i hgw qraya le v t sr r a ra r attached invpositio'n so that the withdrawabl e dhchmay be readily conne e a What Iclaim'is; t 7 V 1 A"withdr able, duct system tor ventilatinglarge open'ai 'sicbmfiiisiiig a'main distributi not extend" g a n undeii the "oeil'ng T saidbjuilding, lthe said"- 'fribu'tiiig' duetihavigng one Br-mbreioutlets prefectingdownw ly 'therefro'rh, reoflapsi ie duct refinement];

' a" eeatinnanrfiibe er iliiili le iiiaifirial secured -to each of be retained in-ithe 'raised'Positiomgail 'theothers being 7 lowered tofneai floor level for normal o er-ation.

It 3: l berealized that in veryilong buildings,

stalled in which case any self containing gr o 0am have its own winch controlling switching ar rang nt,,orTthere may bea combinati'orilofgrofipsof ducting asshownrn 'Figilr, 1 ivvitnjet1 e r;grmips1 or "single 1 controlled ducts as in nignre'z; the a'rr'a'ngerjneht 'of groups "units depending greatly upon'the typeof work 1 g ca1'ried 'on'inanyparticular areapt the building. 1' 3 a t nem wy w d but e di ctsaad iri sn ni'fisaiblet ducts mayb v Theyentilation "of theL building, eitherby supplying fresh air or-evacuationofs'pent air orfumes; can bejcar 'ried out without interruption regardless of whether" the withdrawablefducts 'li .o'rES are in the raised 'or-lowered position'or areinthe'processpf being raisedrorflowered. V r

Not baflles or shut-dif valves are required, neiidoes any 'part of'theiequip'm ent havefto be dismantled, inorder, to

' allowl the crane 9 to pass through thebuilding.

on the frame.

in said distribution ;duct, 21 helical-wire frame been saidzllexible rnate'riahducts, cons llapsible dilct 1d fold uiibnjthemselves withd ppreciable feducti their intennaldia'm; eter wheii' m thefieollaiase'd fiositionfa duct spreader in the 'lower *end of said collafisibli 'ducts aca ie jsec ired centrally td eat ree @91 1 duet inieadersga V111 a fiwtraisins... ath swi ht .1 saidie llapsibleadn s .x j J:

2;-'A.,withdrawahle duetrsystem 1as ,set orth 1 in whichlimiuswitches.arelocatedat,eithenend; said trackstructure limitingthatravelzof 'thet,said-.-carriage 5 3.--Afwithdi'awable duc t systeimas set forthaingclaim. l in Which; limit switches are mounted on the opposite;

llar ihl as s-A i of ea e d ct v pte d o en de nt o ithe distance ducts.

geihe said Re erees we g es);- e

References Cited in the file of this patent 2,575,841 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,749 358,674 Kendall Mar. 1, 1887 722,288 Dickinson Mar. 10, 1903 5 288 798 806,648 Dickinson Dec. 5, 1905 758350 1,064,796 Waller June 17, 1913 6 Rosli Nov. 20, 195 i Houdek Nov. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 19, 1928 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1956 

